Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0206, 1946-01-26.

Full Translation:

The 2,700 employees of the Government Railway Head Office held a mass meeting for the formation of the Government Railway Home Office Labor Union (KOKU TETSU HOM[illegible]SHO RODO KUMIAI) in the conference chamber of the head office. The meeting was held to prepare the principles and rules of the organization and communicate requests for the retirement of members of the executive branch and clear up other matters with the Transportation Minister.

Summary:

Various opinions have been expressed on the Government's recent revelation that it would resort to coevcion in the supervision of food. The communists and socialists are opposed to this, asserting that it is undemocratic. As we see it the communists and socialists as well as the government itself are somewhat obscure in their assertions. The following are the opinions of various men:

KUSUMI, Director of the Food Supervision Bureau, Agricultural Office (NORINSHO SHOKURYO KANRI KYOKU): “We had intended to buy about 4,240,000 koku, 8,940,000 koku and 6,060,000 koku of rice in November, December 45 and January 46, respectively; we actually bought 1,250,000 koku, 3,750,000 koku of rice in November and December 1945 respectively, whereas our daily consumption reaches as much as 3,700,000 - 4,000,000 koku. We cannot make both ends meet.

"Of prime importance is the farmers' willingness to deliver rice of their own accord. I admit, there are some farmers, who would have been dishonest in wartime. For example, in a village, a farmer was disregarded and not punished when he neglected rice delivery to the government, whereas an honest farmer had to sell rice at a very low price to the government. Such cases must be punished. What makes the farmers unwillingly to deliver rice, is clear. Legal punishment must be carried out.

“[illegible]Intermediate transporters must also be strictly dealt with. A right and just distribution cannot be hoped for without punishing them. The conclusion is that all dishonest acts which have a bad influences upon the fair distribution of food; must be provided for."

NOMIZO, Katsu (Socialist Party): "First, the Government should be reminded of the fact that not a little rice still remains hoarded, and that the Government is failing to take measures to cope with that. The expropriation of military areas is lacking in energy, and the distribution of

ECONOMIC SERIES: 206 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

necessary commodities and fertilizers assigned to the farmer, is not yet open to public inspection. Such a state of affairs considerably weakened the willingness of farmers to deliver rice and should assuredly result in the same effects with coercion by the government."

YOSHIDA, Tadashi (Co-operative Party - KYODO TO): A Food Supervision Committee of farmers should be organized to replace supervision by the government. Next, the price of rice must also be fixed, say at 500 yen. Violation of official prices must be strictly punished."

KUROKI, Shigetoku (Communist Party): "Representatives of farmers, Labor Unions and citizens must form a "People's Council" (JIMMIN KYOGIKAI) and distribute city products to farm villages, in exchange for rice delivered by farmers. The Agricultural Association (NOGYO KAI) and the Food Dealers' Association (SHOKURYO EIDAN) must also be reorganized. Delivery and distribution has now come to be a question of politics. The solution of this can be expected when a government consisting of both communists and socialsits comes into being and takes the place of the present one."

Summary:

The Price Handling Office of the Ministry of Finance, which, along with its price controls, lest its raison d'etre in the current economic chaos following the end of the war, has decided to adopt a new price control policy to meat the present economic crisis, taking the following into consideration:

• (1).The standard of new price ceilings should be fixed according to the current price level, thereby bringing soaring prices into proper balance.
• (2).New price ceilings should be based upon basic goods which are closely connected with civilian livelihood, and consequently should be fixed with the price of rice as their standard.
• (3).Along with the foregoing steps, the present machinery of commodity distribution should be readjusted to maintain the new price level.

Thus, as practical investigations of each commodity price are getting underway and drastic measures for securing food are being adopted, the new price controls are likely to be put into effect in March.

Full Translation:

According to dispatches on 23 January from all coal production centers, coal output in the middle 10 days this month reached 85,000 tons in the HOKKAIDO district (including some estimated figures), 37,000 tens in the TOHOKU district, 13,100 tons in the eastern district of HONSHU, 1,200 tons in the western district of HONSHU, 27,300 tons in YAMAGUCHI-Ken, and 204,400 tons in the KYUSHU district; a total of 368,600 tons.

This, figure surpasses by 33,600 tons that estimated for the first 10 days of this month. Coal production in January is estimated to reach 1,105,000 tons: 286,700 tons in the first 10 days and 450,000 tons expected in the last 10 days.

Coal output in January will be 55,000 tons greater than the 11,050,000 tons aimed at by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. 1,050,000 tons at the end of last year and 1,070,000 tons recently were previous targets.

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 206 (Continued)

December

Unit = 1,000 tons

January

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 206 (Continued)

Full Translation:

Ore output, setting some kinds aside, in the third quarter of this fiscal year was nil according to data investigated by the Mine Bureau (KOZAN KYOKU) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and other mineral organizations. No pertinent policy, nevertheless, at present is taken by the government. It is feared that there will be the same result in this quarter. In the first place, these results are attributed to worse production conditions in every mine which have not been improved since the war's end, in the second, lack of government policy and, in the third, producers' unwillingness to mine.

Ore output, expected and actual, in the third quarter of this fiscal year is listed as follows:

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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